Why the Yankees and Mets are being investigated for 'improper communications' around Aaron Judge

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Court is now in session.

Aaron Judge is the biggest free agent this offseason, so it's no surprise that he's garnered interest from the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants, among a likely number of other shadow sweepstakes contestants this offseason.

There may be, though, a notable omission from the Judge hunt: The Yankees' crosstown rival Mets. Because of that, MLB is taking a closer look into any "improper communications" that may have occurred between the two parties.

The impetus: A recent report published by SNY's Andy Martino indicates the Mets have no interest in pursuing Judge, in part because of the "mutually respectful" relationship between Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and Mets owner Steve Cohen.

SNY reports:

… Owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner enjoy a mutually respectful relationship, and do not expect to upend that with a high-profile bidding war.

The only way people involved can see the Mets changing course and pursuing Judge would be if the Yankees somehow declared themselves totally out of the bidding.

MORE: Aaron Judge free agency — Latest updates, news and more on superstar slugger

Given that CBA rules dictate that owners may not work with other owners in terms of providing information about players, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that MLB is looking into both owners and may ask both to hand over their phones so they can look through any correspondence between the two sides.

While it seems harmless, a wealthy owner removing himself from any discussions surrounding one of MLB's most prized free agents opens a whole new can of worms surrounding free agency. In recent years, players have been skeptical of the dealings between owners, and at times have accused them of collusion. 

If the Cohen-Steinbrenner relationship goes beyond "improper communications" and paints a more clear picture of collusion between both sides, then there could be a world of trouble waiting on the other end.

For now, it's just an investigation, while Judge waits for his market to materialize. Just don't expect the Mets to be part of it.

Author(s)
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Joe Rivera is a senior content producer at The Sporting News and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater, Rutgers University.